Perfect
by catkid3
Summary: A vacation for the crew goes horribly wrong when one of their own goes missing.
1. Chapter 1

**One**

*Dylin*

He strolled along the pathway, a small bounce in his step. The clothes he wore hung loosely off of his torso, with plenty of extra space at the sides. He seemed to fit all of the criteria; red shirt, floppy brown hair, a skinny frame. He was satisfactory, but stepped out of view.

"Are you sure that was him, Jaigin?"

"Positive."

I moved the viewer away, the young man disappearing. He vanished into a faint pink and black dot, blocked by the walls of others' dwellings. The shape of the badge on his chest was unfamiliar to me. If it were real silver it would be enough for me to have food for weeks. I'd been out in the wilderness for two and a half months by that point; there's only so much fruit one being can consume before desiring for something new.

To be more accurate, we'd been there for two and a half months. A small group of others decided to join me and flee their old lives to start afresh. The war was devastating; thousands of casualties on both sides. We were nearly driven to extinction. A group of us remained in an isolated location towards the southern pole.

We were a fairly advanced society. Our brightest minds had developed technology we never dreamed possible, including the viewer I had held in that moment. The choice to remain in confinement was made by the rest of our people, but we disagreed. After a public demonstration turned violent we were to be executed for stirring up others.

Having been a criminal as a child, disobedience was a tactic I was rather familiar with.

Our plan was simple. We waited until the others had fallen asleep before stealing our rations and getting out of there. We were not careful enough, for we did not anticipate a sixth member joining our group. Jaigin, one of our brightest youth and my nephew, had been awoken by our footsteps, so we decided he would accompany us.

He'd grown since that. Gone was the youth of fourteen years with a pale face. He now looked much older, with permanent lines around dull blue eyes and red scars along his arms from a fall. His prescence meant an extra mouth to feed and soon we exhausted our supplies. Out of options and growing hungry, my comrade Wintrin suggested we explore the wilderness and hope something would come along.

Something came along alright. We stumbled upon an enormous city, with odd-looking scientists and security interrogating us almost from the moment we were spotted; who were we? What species? Our names and families? We were told we were almost identical to a species called Humans, except we had a few minor physical differences. Humans didn't have night vision or a second set of vocal chords.

I'd never heard of a human before that. It felt good to be told we were unique.

After explaining our situation, we were permitted to wander as we pleased, considering it was our planet. The head scientist (who called herself Hannah Bates) explained that her government, the United Federation of Planets, had colonised most of our planet in the twenty second century having believed it was uninhabited; since we originally lived so far underground, their machines did not detect us. The city was known as Sandere and over two hundred thousand species visited it a day.

I shared a number of drinks with Wintrin that evening. Jaigin had two.

A few days later a group of people in strange clothes began to appear. They carried small metal boxes that made odd noises and tapped something on their chest to talk to someone. Some wore blue shirts, others wore yellow or red. Some were human, others were not. Wintrin claimed one night to have spotted what we learnt was called a Klingon wearing a yellow shirt. "He had this weird looking sash over his shoulder," He'd said. "It sparkled in the light. Made him look a bit girly."

An idea formed in my mind over the following conversation that evening. We needed currency in order to purchase food to stock our constant-dwindling supplies, of which we had none.

"So why not capture one of those people?" I suggested. "They appear to be important and well-respected. A ransom would definitely be met by their leader."

The others were doubtful. "If we were to be caught, we'd most certainly be imprisoned for our crime." Jaigin spoke up.

"Agreed," Wintrin sipped his drink. "I have no intentions to spend my time in a cell."

I wasn't impressed. "Well if someone has a better idea, I would appreciate hearing it now."

A brief silence followed my words. It was my brother Jet who raised his hand and gave his thoughts. "If we are to capture one of them, let us pick one who is young. Since we cannot tell who has the highest rank, perhaps there's a parent who will beg that our demands be met."

I smiled. "Any objections?"

We spent another few days searching. Most of those people appeared to be in the mid years adulthood. It was Jaigin who discovered the young man we decided to watch. He couldn't give the most accurate description, for the target disappeared into the crowd as quickly as he appeared. It was three days before we found him again. He matched what Jaigin could describe.

"Why do we not attack now?" Jet hissed. "The youth is right there! Let us get him!"

"There are too many witnesses," I explained, lifting the viewer again. The same boy was now talking to a blue-shirted woman with an unusual hair colour. "Surely you don't want us to be seen when we carry this task out?"

"Of course not."

The woman hugged the boy before both moved into the crowd behind them. I gave the viewer to Jaign and stretched. "Wintrin, I want you and Jaigin to follow this young man. We must wait until he is alone before we attempt our plan."

Light faded from the sky within a matter of hours, as did the temperature. A raw wind bit at our skin as we hurried along the edges of the city. No walls or guards made gaining access less of a problem than it would've been. The crowds from that morning had dissolved, with the remaining few retreating to their dwellings. Wintrin motioned for us to move east, the towering structures diminishing to blocks of smaller homes. We were positioned outside one of the dwellings when the boy disappeared from my sight around the corner.

I picked up the viewer again. It was a few seconds before my eyes caught sight of the boy again. He poked his head out from the side of the furthest dwelling and cautiously began walking towards us.

I threw the viewer down. It skidded across the ground, some of the glass cracking. "Move! Hide!"

We scattered like rats, three of us fleeing to one side of the street while the others went to the other. Jet pulled out pieces of rope, stretching and flexing them while Jaigin watched silently. On the other side, I saw Wintrin take out his prize possession; a skin tight cloth, developed by one of our scientists to treat open wounds. He nodded when he caught my gaze. We had never tried it on facial tissue before; it would be an ample test for it.

It felt as though the boy would never arrive. The street was almost silent, except for our exhalation. When the group first escaped our village, I had sworn that if any of them disobeyed my command they would be sent back as a corpse. No one dared to question my decisions. What happened during that night would be the ultimate test of their loyalty.

He startled us when he appeared in our line of sight. Younger than I expected as well; maybe around Jaigin's age. Unlike Jaigin though, this young man had almost no muscle and definitely no weapons. He was young, vulnerable and defenceless.

The perfect hostage.


	2. Chapter 2

**Two**

*Jaigin*

He was taller than I originally assumed. Thin as a stick as well. Dylin would have no issue with taking him down. It seemed he hadn't noticed us, for he continued on whatever path he was on. Part of me wanted to yell after him, to tell him to run. But the other part remembered we were broke and starving. This boy was our hope for survival.

Jet began to rise from his spot, placing the rope in position. He nodded at me; I hesitantly returned the gesture. My job in that operation was to 'incapacitate the youth so he could be removed from the area with ease'.

Dylin nudged my shoulder firmly. He was getting impatient. I stood up and silently stepped out of the darkness to follow the boy, the ground illuminated by the moonlight. His shirt seemed to glow subtlety, as did his pale skin. He was too young to have this to happen to him.

I glanced at Dylin. His stern black eyes were narrowed, his arms crossed. He nodded towards the boy. If I did not carry out his order, I would pay for it the following morning. A blade through the throat was not my intended way to die.

I increased my pace until I was a few steps from him. He hadn't noticed my prescence.

But he did when I ran forward and put my hand over his mouth.

He instantly cried out, but almost no sound was heard. I realised he wasn't like us; his body was significantly smaller than ours. My hand was large enough to cover his mouth and cup all the way around his jaw, enabling me to squeeze it shut. His breathing increased; he was definitely panicking.

The others went into position as I struggled with him. It seemed he was significantly stronger than we expected, for he put up an unbelievable fight. I forced all of my weight on him, the two of us falling to the ground. He tried to roll away, kicking out wildly all while still attempting to yell for help. Jet and Dylin swooped down quickly, binding the boy's hands and feet with relative ease. It was difficult to keep him silenced; had I not been so strong, he would've bitten my palm and woken the whole street with his screams.

Jet and Dylin put their weight on the boy's torso and legs, pinning him to the ground. He continued to mumble as he got a proper look at us, and us at him. His dark eyes widened as Wintrin slid the cloth over his head. I removed my hand, giving the boy no time to open his mouth before Wintrin secured the cloth around it. I'd never seen anything like it; the material shrunk and morphed to his facial features and shape, creating a tight seal over his only way of signalling for help. Even in the dim light I could make out the faint shape of his lips; he had been silenced.

Dylin stood up and crossed his arms, his trademark smile spreading across his lips. The boy stopped struggling, staring in fear at his captors. He breathed heavily through his nose; I noticed a cut on his forehead was beginning to bleed.

I had to hide my guilt as I watched Dylin give his proclamation. "Gentlemen, we now have a future."


	3. Chapter 3

**Three**

*Riker*

 _First Officer's Log, Stardate 46435.2_

 _Captain Picard decided a few days ago that most of us senior officers needed a break and had us beamed down to Tarov IV to spend our week off. But of course, trouble is our friend and we were contacted by a group of scientists in the capital city who were concerned for our safety; they recently discovered this planet was in fact inhabited and they're still to figure out if the natives species is peaceful. We are currently staying in assigned dwellings in the downtown part of the city, where we'll remain until our 'vacation' is concluded. Mr Crusher has also been staying with us on his break from the Academy. He's been far quieter than usual, but I assume it's because he's finally grown up._

"Will!"

Normally I'm a pretty heavy sleeper, but not even Beverly's scream could keep me unconscious. I almost fell out of bed as she hurried in, hair in a fuzz, fluffy slippers sliding on the wooden floor and hysterical. "He's gone!"

"Wesley? Gone?" My voice was still hoarse from sleep. I rubbed my eyes, squinting at the light and walked past the doctor into Wesley's room. The bed was messy, which was typical of a boy his age, but his uniform was nowhere to be seen. With everything being either grey or white we would've seen blood if there was a struggle, but I couldn't find any.

Beverly was almost in tears. "The door wasn't broken in, t-the window is intact-"

"It's okay. He's probably gone out early," I sighed, "and forgotten to leave a note."

"But that's not like him. He would never do that unless he was ordered to."

"Good morning Commander," Data emerged from his room, naturally dressed in his uniform. His yellow top and eyes stood out against the dull surroundings. "What is wrong, Doctor?"

"Wesley's missing," I explained.

Data examined the room and poked his head out the window. "Did he leave something to indicate where he went?"

"No. And it's likely he didn't just go for a morning run."

Beverly was biting her nails nervously. "..You don't think?"

"It is possible that he has been abducted," Data stated. "If so, I recommend we contact the Enterprise and ask if they can track Wesley's communicator."

"Agreed. Well, you can take care of that; I'll go with Doctor Crusher back to the ship and send an away team down. See if they can find any clues."

"Yes sir." Data exited almost as swiftly as he entered.

I turned to Beverly and gave her a hug. "You're allowed to cry if you need to; I won't tell anyone."

She sniggered and buried her face in my shoulder. "I'm so worried for him, Will. This isn't like him - he'd never just get up and leave."

"We'll find him, okay?" I patted her on the back and let go. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "We're gonna find him."

I tapped the badge on my chest. "Riker to Enterprise."

"Go ahead, Number One." The Captain's voice floated through the communicator.

"Permission to beam aboard, sir? I'm sure Data has informed you of the situation."

"Yes he did. Permission granted."

"Thank you sir. Riker out." I retreated to my room, replacing my blue pyjamas with a neat Starfleet uniform. I admit since they changed the tops it's been a lot more comfortable, but I got sick of pulling it down every three seconds.

Beverly was leaning on the kitchen bench, her favourite blue cardigan wrapped over her shoulders. She smiled weakly. "Ready, Commander."

I tapped my communicator again. "Riker to transporter room three. Two to beam up."

Transporting was always a curious sensation. Being dissolved into billions of molecules and yet still be conscious the entire time; it always blew my mind, even though I'd used them hundreds of times before.

The Enterprise felt slightly warmer than Taros IV, but that was expected. The environmental controls must've been adjusted. Beverly and I stepped off the transporter pad and nodded our thanks to Chief O'Brien.

The bridge was mostly empty, with Ensign Ro, Worf, Deanna and a few other ensigns on duty. With over a thousand people onboard, I could never learn everyone's name. Jean-Luc was sitting in his chair, the light from the ceiling shining off of his head. He gazed at us and stood up, his expression slightly lifting. "Good to see you Number One, Doctor."

"..Jean-Luc..I'm just.." Beverly threw her arms around the captain, mumbling an apology for the unusual behaviour. He returned the gesture, muttering comforting words to her while staring blankly at us. We never usually saw those two that close, but it was nice. Showed Picard was human.

I walked to the front of the bridge, fixing my shirt for the tenth time. "Report, Ensign."

"We've managed to get a signal from Mr Crusher's communicator, sir, but not a transport lock," Ro's voice floated through the air. "There is too much interference on the planet."

"What sort of interference?" I asked. "Surely there can't be any on a planet this primitive."

"It's not electrical inference, sir, rather interference from the rock. The signal appears to be coming from underneath rocks that contain abnormally high levels of fieldium and thomsonian. Our sensors are having trouble penetrating it."

"Can you find a way to bypass it?"

"Yes, but it'll take time."

"Time that Wesley might not have." The captain had let go of Beverly and returned to his seat, pulling his shirt down. "How long do you need, Ensign?"

Ro span her chair around to face the captain. "A couple of hours at the most. But the signal will be very erratic; transport won't be possible."

"Great," Picard muttered. "Alright. Make it so. Number One, meet me in my ready room."

"Yes sir," I followed the captain off of the bridge. "You have the bridge, mister Worf."

A baritone "Aye" reached my ears before the doors of the ready room closed, with only the faint humming of of the engines remaining. It was always scarily tidy in there; the fish tank always spotless, the temperature always comfortable and the desk always organised.

It seemed every room on the Enterprise was always tidy.

"Number One, what do you know about Tarov IV?" Picard lowered himself into his seat, leaning back slightly. He folded his hands together. "Its customs? Its people?"

"Not much, but Data was informing me everything he knows," I groaned. "The planet was believed to be uninhabited when colonisation began two hundred years back. The entire capital is a giant market; pretty much everyone trades there at some point. One of their scientists was telling us that they discovered the native species Tarovians a few weeks ago. They didn't seem too welcoming; starved as well. It's possible Wesley was taken by them."

The captain frowned. "What I don't understand is why Wesley? He's still a child. If you were a kidnapper, who would you pick; the first officer of a ship or a teenage cadet?"

I was about to answer when Data's voice rang through my communicator. "Data to Commander Riker."

"Go ahead."

"We have found signs of a scuffle not far from our dwelling, sir," Data reported. "There were a few dried blood patches that we have identified as Wesley's."

"Any idea of his captors are?" I asked.

"None so far, sir. But we will keep investigating."

"Understood. Riker out," I shifted in my seat. "So it seems we were correct."

Picard nodded slowly. He had that expression when you could tell his soul was weary. "Let us hope we can locate Mr Crusher in time. I don't want to be the bearer of two deaths for Beverly."


	4. Chapter 4

**Four**

*Picard*

 _Captain's log, supplemental. The situation regarding Mr Crusher's disappearance has increased, with revelation from Commander Data that he was indeed abducted. Ensign Ro is currently attempting to open a communication channel, but for the moment, we are all uneasy._

"Captain?"

Will's voice jerked me away from my thoughts. "Yes, Commander?"

"Do you believe he's gonna be alright, sir?"

I smiled warmly. "Mister Crusher is one of the toughest young men I've ever met. He'll be fine, Will."

My first officer nodded. "And yet there was no sign of forced entry. Only thing I can think of is Wesley was outside already beforehand, but why?"

I threw my hands up. "A young man's mind is hard to understand and even more difficult to experience."

"Beg your pardon, sir?"

"Oh come now, Will. You must remember being a boy Wesley's age. Were not you tormented by the pressures imposed on you?" I asked. "Being a Starfleet cadet is not an easy task. Think of the expectations that Wesley has sitting on his shoulders."

It took Will a second to grasp my point. "He had a father who died in the line of service."

"And a mother who is the chief medical officer of a Galaxy-class starship," I smirked. "My parents were humble winemakers."

"Well I think you'd need a lot of that at the Academy." Will's familiar grin appeared, as did mine.

But my smile quickly faded. "You realise, Commander, that this is not your fault?"

"Sir?"

"I'm his captain. Why I did not place extra security measures around your dwelling is beyond me." I rubbed my tired eyes.

"Sir, there's no way you could've foreseen this-"

"But I should have!" I stood up suddenly, my palms slamming the desk. "That's one of the main parts of being a captain! You need to make precautions for every single possibility and the one time I slack off this happens!"

Will moved next to me. "Can I make a suggestion, sir?"

"What is it?"

"That next time we have a break, you come along with us."

I was about to laugh when Ensign Ro's voice floated through my communicator. "Captain to the bridge please."

I sighed at Will. "I'll be sure to see Counsellor Troi at some point during this drama."

As I retook my place in the captain's chair, a sense of guilt settled upon me. Even if we could talk to Wesley, there was no guarantee we'd be able to retrieve him from his captors. The thought of losing him was unbearable.

Ensign Ro swivelled around in her station to face me. "We've managed to set up a channel sir, but we have no idea how strong or long it'll be."

"Is it open?"

"Not yet sir."

"Well then open it!"

Ensign Ro nodded slowly, spinning around and pressing numerous buttons. A faint crackling came over the com system, fading in and out. Ro was fiddling with the controls, but it made no difference. The persistent noise continued.

"Wesley?" My voice interrupted the crackling. Ro's meddling with her control panel was working; though I still heard nothing from Wesley. Although the crew hadn't noticed, I was becoming anxious. "Keep going, Ensign."

"Mister Crusher, can you hear us?" Will spoke. No response, but the interference had dropped considerably. Faint noises were audible, but impossible to make out. "Mister Crusher?"

Without warning, the noise escalated to ear-splitting volumes. The rest of the bridge crew and I winced as Ro managed to quieten it. I still couldn't tell what it was; it definitely wasn't speech, but it was still, well, noise. It would increase and stop briefly before continuing again.

I was about to ask Troi what it was when I noticed the tears in her eyes. She stared at the blank viewer, horrified. "He's in so much pain.."

Beverly's shoulders shook as Worf slammed his hands on the console. "What is that awful sound?!"

His loud protest didn't faze the Counsellor. She didn't even turn to look at him. Her tone of voice was heartbreaking. "He can't scream, but he's still trying."

I turned back to face the viewer, angrily gripping the seat. "Mister Crusher, can you hear us?"

The muffled 'screaming' continued. I raised my voice. "Mister Crusher, it's Picard! Can you hear me?"

Still no response. I turned to the Counsellor, my anger on the very edge of slipping out. "Deanna, explain what the devil is going on!"

She didn't return my gaze, instead staring at the floor. A tear ran down her cheek. "It is Wesley, but he's being hurt. I can't tell how but he's in agony."

"Wait, are there voices coming out of tha- Jaigin, get it off 'im!"

The new voice startled us, but myself in particular. It continued to comment: "You are full of surprises, aren't you? How do I use this?"

"You use it like this!" Will bellowed, his eyes narrowed. I nodded my approval.

A faint gasp was heard from the mysterious speaker, but his tone of voice changed. Wesley's muffled screams had quietened considerably. "Oh, greetings! I don't know if I've got the saying right; is it 'how are yo-"

"You can cut the pleasantries, we understand!" I snapped. "I'm Captain Jean-Luc Picard of a Federation starship and we are led to believe you are holding one of our crewmen prisoner!"

The voice snickered. "As you wish, **Pikard**. I hate the pleasantries anyway. Is this boy one of yours? He's not as tough as I expected an officer to be!" A sharp thud followed his words, along with another yell from Wesley.

I looked to Beverly and noticed how pale she had gone. "Let him speak to me!"

"Why? It took so much effort-" Another scream, "- to keep him quiet!"

My patience had disappeared. "Is there an agreement you wish us to fulfil? I'm happy to discuss them with-"

"We will agree to nothing except the assured promise of a future!" The voice yelled. Wesley screamed in the background.

"We don't understand what you mean," Troi spoke firmly, keeping the fear out of her voice.

The voice sighed angrily. "Food! A home! Employment! Funds! We are starving and living in the worse of conditions our people can imagine!"

"The Federation would have gladly helped you if you approached them first!" I replied. "There was no need for this..this rashness! We offer help to-"

"Silence! I will hear no more!" The voice hissed. "Jaigin, how I do turn this off?"

"We will keep this channel open until you can agree to something!" I said, a slight smile crossing my face. It became so quiet that Wesley's ragged breathing could be heard.

"Hold on. Jaigin, come with me," The voice disappeared, apparently dropping the communicator. His footsteps vanished, leaving only Wesley. He tried to yell to us but only got out mumbles.

"Wesley?" Beverly edged to the front of her seat. Her eyes were also filling with tears. "Wesley, it's okay. We're coming to get you."

Wesley seemed to understand. He stopped yelling and instead tried to talk, but didn't get very far before a smooth-sounding voice appeared through the comm. "I am told you are this boy's captain, Picard?"

"That's right," I said. "Who are you? What are your intentions?"

"I call myself Dylin," The voice answered icily. "You've already met my brother Jet, I take it. Our intentions, you ask? Simply to survive. Most of us were wiped out in our civil war a few years ago. We are simply refugees desperate to stay alive. Is that too much to ask?"

"I understand your dilemma," I said, "but you have abducted one of my officers and are apparently harming him! We will not stand for that!"

"I genuinely apologise for that, but the boy has been putting up quite a fight," Dylin said slyly. "We simply needed to teach him a lesson."

"One of your men mentioned what things you were desiring for," Will spoke up. "If we provide those things, will you release our officer?"

"You must be the right hand man. Of course we will," Dylin answered calmly. "But not until we have met and discussed this situation. Now, I don't tolerate humans in my territory, so-"

"We are able to transport you up at your convenience if you wish it," I interrupted. "Or we can arrange another place to negotiate."

A small chuckle from Dylin emerged. "You are skilled with words, Picard. I applaud your efforts. No, I think the meeting can wait for now. But hear me clearly; if you dare attempt to rescue your officer, I have a grisly end in store for him."

The channel closed and we were left in silence, a final scream ringing in our ears.


	5. Chapter 5

**Five**

*Wintrin*

"How dare they," Dylin struck the boy with the end of his sword. His voice rumbled. "How dare they expect us to willingly give this scum back to them?!"

I noticed Jaigin fiddling with the boy's badge as he watched Dylin's rage unfold. The human was very much alive and afraid, tear stains rinsing the blood on his face into my cloth. In some ways I almost felt sorry for him; Dylin accidentally broke his leg while trying to smuggle him inside our hideout. It was bent at an odd angle, even with his feet tied together. He groaned often from the pain.

"They did offer us what we desired," I spoke up. "Surely we must consider their offer?"

The boy screamed again. Dylin caught my gaze, his face half-obscured by the torch behind him. "Of course they offered us what we wanted. But I doubt they will fulfil their promise!"

"Well why wouldn't they?" Jet said, perched on a rock shelf above us. "Their captain sounded furious."

"Exactly," I added. "I thought the point of this operation was to acquire our demands, not injure an innocent human."

"Fury is shortlived," Dylin thrust his sword into the soil next to the boy's feet. "I will wait until I feel they are civilised enough to discuss this 'situation'."

He left his weapon where it stood and walked into the darkness behind him. The boy sighed loudly before his eyes closed and he slumped against the wall, clearly exhausted. It was strange to see him in such a defenceless state - had he been born one of us he would've been a warrior.

I listened to make sure Dylin was gone. He'd probably left to drown in more wine. "Jaigin, fetch me some water, will you?"

The young man nodded and slipped away almost silently, returning a minute later with a jug. Taking it from him, I poured a little over the floor. The soil instantly washed away, along with the boy's spilt blood. It ran over his shoes and into a small crevice next to him.

"Why rinse the evidence away when it will reappear when Dylin returns?" Jaigin mused thoughtfully.

I threw the rest of the water over the boy's head. He awoke suddenly, coughing and panting with drips falling off his nose. Fear glistened in his eyes; I noticed Jaigin shifted uncomfortably.

"Why should Dylin always have a clean environment?" I said icily, picking up my friend's sword. The tip of the blade shone a deep red. It was strange seeing red blood come out instead of blue, but it was still satisfying. I admired it before quickly slicing cuts into the boy's face. "It's my turn."

I ignored Jaigin's hurried footsteps as the boy screamed. My smile grew bigger, as did the human's wet eyes.

"Maybe this plan will be good after all."


	6. Chapter 6

**Six**

*Troi*

I had never felt such abandonment until I heard Wesley's final scream. Another tear slid down my cheek and the Captain had ordered all of us to take the rest of the day off.

Will and I discussed it over dinner in Ten Forward. He, like the others of the bridge crew, gave off the same sense of dread and guilt. I spent a while reassuring him it wasn't his fault, but he still refused to believe me. "I was the commanding officer. He was my responsibility,"

He barely touched his food either.

As I returned to my office what I sensed changed dramatically. Some of the younger ensigns didn't even know what had happened and some of the lieutenants felt the same as Will. It was a kaleidoscope of emotions and there was nothing I could do about it.

I didn't realise how much Beverly was hurting until she walked into my quarters a few hours later. Her eyes and cheeks were red, though she remained professional in her uniform. She gave me a tired smile and the wave of her grief washed over me. The most intense grief I'd felt for a long time.

"Oh Beverly," I whispered. She collapsed into a seat and buried her head in her hands, weeping.

I let her sit there for a while, clasping my hand as she cried. It was always painful when I had to comfort my patients, but especially when it was someone I knew personally.

"I'm sorry," Beverly sat up suddenly and wiped her eyes. "I shouldn't..I mean.."

"It's perfectly normal," I said calmly. "You're distressed and need someone to listen. That's why I'm on this ship."

She laughed. "Of course, of course."

"Do you need a cup of anything?"

"No, no, I'll be right," Beverly said quietly. Her hands shook. "..I'm just so worried for him! He's got a whole future ahead of him and th-they might k-kill him!"

I let her blow her nose before I spoke. "I didn't sense any intent to in either of those men. I think they want to play the emotional trap and cause enough guilt for us to give in."

"Did you sense anything else from W-Wesley?"

I thought for a moment. "It was mostly pain. Agonising enough that blocked out almost everything else. But he is afraid. You have a son who is scared and we need to be brave for him."

Beverly looked up. "I'm trying-"

"I am too. We all are," I went on. "You're allowed to be upset. But you need to take care of yourself too. Be brave for when he comes home and you can give him the biggest scolding in the universe for going outside."

"..I just don't want to lose both of them, Deanna." Her voice trembled.

"We will get Wesley home, one way or another," I said. "Trust me, the captain is just as upset as you are. I felt it."


	7. Chapter 7

**Seven**

*Jaigin*

The night was in no way peaceful. Dylin, drunk from his celebratory wine, bashed and beat the boy for hours. I peaked out of my sleeping area to see Dylin's face illuminated by the torchlight, a malicious grin across his face. Each blow of his sword or his hand sent the boy into another round of silent screams.

The boy's face, on the other hand, was littered with cuts and bright red blood. A bruise was forming on his cheek, a fleshy mess where his nose was. It made me sick to look at him.

When dawn arrived Dylin finally gave into his fatigue, dropping his sword and drunkenly stumbling to where the others were sleeping. My place was the rock face near the boy, to make sure he didn't try to escape.

I didn't see how he could with a broken leg, but it was dangerous to question Dylin.

A few hours' sleep was all I got before faint sobs awoke me. The boy didn't see me as I turned over to look at him; heaving for air, his eyes squeezed shut with tears rolling down his cheeks. He feebly tried to free his hands but failed; the others had tied him too tightly. A scream of frustration followed.

The sense of guilt that filled me was too much. I jumped down and quietly walked over to him. He recoiled back, squirming up against the wall. I could tell he didn't trust me, but that didn't matter.

The jug of water Wintrin used the day before was broken into multiple fragments, smashed by Dylin in his rage. Luckily there was still a piece large enough to hold some water, so I crept down to the nearby underground lake and filled it. The boy started panicking when I returned.

"I'm not going to hurt you," I whispered, ripping a piece of my tunic off and dipping it in the water. I ignored the boy's flinching as I gently rubbed it against his face, clearing away the multiple layers of dry blood. "I'm not like them."

He remained apprehensive as I cleaned his wounds, refusing to move or cry. When I had removed the excess blood I noticed exactly how many cuts Dylin had made. One had narrowly missed blinding him, slicing the skin of his eyelid. The other eye was faintly bruised, but both showed how little sleep he'd gotten.

Had we still been in the refugee camp, Dylin would've been executed for this.

"Do you feel any better?" I lowered my voice so it was barely audible. "What was it they called you? Wesley?" I rang out the cloth and tried to wipe the blood off his silver badge. It had been stepped on by Jet at some point, a large dent now in the centre. "I hate my name. It meant 'loyal warrior' in my community. Great name for the boy who always spent his weekends in the library."

I looked up. The boy was apparently listening; I thought I saw sympathy in his face. "Before he died my father always hoped I would put down my studies and train to fight in the war. I tried. I legitimately tried, but I was not designed for the battlefield. I had to train in a real battle alongside my father. He died instantly with an arrow to the brain."

Wesley's shoulders sagged; I assumed he meant he felt sorry for me. "It's alright. My mother raised me to be a studious young man instead of the blood-thirsty warrior Father envisioned me as. You know, when I was picked up by Dylin, I heard him admit he only wanted someone smart to use as a hostage in times of crisis. Fortunately I never was, but I'm sorry he's chosen you instead."

A shout of rage erupted from where Dylin slept. He stumbled out of the rocks, moaning and holding his head tenderly. "Jaigin! Get me some more!"

"More what?" I asked nervously.

He picked up a small rock and aimed it at me. "More wine, you useless youth! My head is drained and I must have energy for the day."

Scared of what he might throw next, I scurried over to where we'd hidden our supplies. As expected, Dylin had insisted we also steal plenty of wine after bringing Wesley here, so he had multiple bottles to choose from.

I grabbed the nearest one and brought it to him. "I suggest you go lightly on this."

He'd gulped a third of the bottle before answering me. "Listen to you. As if you know anything in that head of yours about this wonderful liquid!"

Wesley and I shared aside glances. There was no telling what would happen once Dylin finished his morning drink. I decided to return to my sleeping corner and observe his actions, watching the fear in Wesley's eyes return.

Within seconds Dylin had drowned his first bottle of the day and grinned, stumbling to pick up his sword. "Well why don't we start with something simple?" He brought the weapon up and sliced into Welsey's shirt. It must've touched his skin, for he flinched.

"Argh, that's not fun," Dylin sniffed. He frowned and studied Wesley for a moment. "Why don't we try this?"

His grabbed the hilt of the sword and swung it, knocking Wesley to the ground. It had apparently knocked him out instantly; he lay motionless on the cave floor while Dylin groaned. "Fine. I'll t-try later.."

Dylin fell backwards and emptied his stomach behind a nearby boulder, the awful noises making me frown in disgust. In this position I did not consider him a leader, but instead a drunkard rebel. He continued retching, spluttering and spitting out what was left of his stomach. He waved his sword around carelessly, the silver blade colliding with a shrill screech on the rock walls.

I turned my gaze back to Wesley, in his helpless, bleeding form. "May mercy be shown upon you."


	8. Chapter 8

**Eight**

*Crusher*

"Captain, I've been able to trace the location of Mister Crusher's badge," Ensign Ro proclaimed, spinning around in her chair. "He's just outside the capital city, towards the north."

I sighed gratefully as Jean-Luc responded. "Well done, Ensign. Is there a chance its strong enough for a transport signal?"

"No, sir. He would probably materialise inside the rock."

I exchanged a glance with Jean-Luc, who seemed to know exactly what I was thinking. "Beverly, I can't let you go."

"He may need urgent medical attention," I protested. "Who knows what they've done to him-"

"We'll send down some of your medical staff. It's too dangerous-"

"Jean-Luc, it's my son we're discussing here. I'm going with the away team," My voice shook. "I'm not losing him like I lost Jack."

I ignored the disapproving look my captain was giving me and headed for the turbolift. We would need to take a multitude of supplies; hyposprays, bandages, tricorders, phasers-

"Doctor Crusher!"

I whipped around to find Worf poised in the hallway, phaser in hand. He looked as sullen as ever. "Doctor, I'll have to escort you during the away mission...Captain's orders."

I knew Jean-Luc would change his mind. "Understood."

Within half an hour I entered transporter room four, carrying a collection of medical items. Worf and Riker both had their phasers drawn, while two ensigns stood anxiously behind them.

Deanna, who had been waiting near the door, put her arm around my shoulders as we walked onto the transporter pad. "Ready?"

I nodded. Will gave the order and within seconds a new environment had appeared around us. The terrain was very rocky, with the soil being an ugly shade of mustard. There were a handful of alive-looking trees, but no observable signs of life. About ten meters away was what appeared to be a case entrance, masked by branches and soil.

"Are you getting any life signs, Worf?" I asked nervously.

Worf glanced at his tricorder. "..Yes. They're registering from that cave...One is human."

I began to walk forward, but Will's hand held me back. "Doctor, we can't go rushing in there without a plan. They might kill him."

"That's what I'm afraid of," I neglected to notice I was trembling. "I'm not letting him die."

"He won't die, but you need to listen to me, Beverly. Trust me," Will said firmly. "We are going to sneak in quietly and wait until dark. Only then can we treat Wesley; otherwise they'll know we are there and our cover will be ruined."

I gulped. "Alright. We wait."


	9. Chapter 9

**Nine**

*Riker*

We perched behind a rock face inside the cave, waiting silently. Beverly wouldn't stop ringing her hands, despite having four calming hyposprays. Deanna let her squeeze her hand, looking more and more concerned as the minutes passed.

It had taken hours for Wesley's captors to stop beating him. The muffled screams were continuous, along with shouts of glee from those who attacked him. Every lash sent another tear leaking out of Beverly's eyes. I wasn't sure who was suffering more at that point.

At about three hundred hours the commotion stopped, the only sounds remaining being Wesley's crying and some snoring. Worf scanned while Deanna sensed the area, giving us a nod that everyone was asleep.

"He's very unstable," Deanna whispered. "We can't take him by surprise."

Will agreed, motioning to the ensigns to dash to the next rock face. We moved silently, tiptoeing behind gaps and sliding in and out of crevices. It took a while before we encountered the first captor, curled around around a rock pillow. He looked younger than Wesley initially, but the lines under his eyes showed age.

Of course I had to stumble and drop my phaser, creating a loud clatter.

The boy woke instantly and was prepared to scream, but restrained himself at the sight of Worf's phaser pointed at his head. I put my finger to my lips and dragged him up, but he shook himself free. "Are you here to help him?"

Deanna glanced around, giving me the all-clear to return his question. "Yes-"

"If I help you, will you get me out of here too?" The boy whispered. "I am essentially a slave to these men and I want to help your friend."

While Beverly looked apprehensive, Deanna nodded in approval. "He's telling the truth, Will."

I pondered for a moment. "Alright. But you need to follow every single thing I say-"

"Yessir!" The lad agreed. "He's being held not far from here. I think they've broken his leg..and he lost a lot of blood-"

"Don't worry, we've brought equipment with us. He'll be okay," I said hurriedly. "Lead us on."

The boy obeyed, nimbly shuffling in between crevices and jumping over rocks, as though he'd been living in this cave his entire life. He would've been excellent at the Academy's athletics carnival; he was as graceful as a swan while still being very athletic.

We continued into the darkness, not daring to use lights for fear of our detection. Beverly walked in front of me, her silhouette trembling. I wanted to comfort her, but decided it could wait until later.

The boy suddenly stopped, his arm held out in warning. A faint light was visible ahead of us, with the muffled crying much more prominent than before. A glance at my tricorder showed the single human life sign was starting to fade.

"Let's hurry," I whispered, urging the boy forward.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Apologies for the long delay - life has been very busy at the moment.

 **Ten**

*Troi*

The sight came upon us so suddenly. We rounded the corner to see a figure huddled in the fetal position and sobbing, bound hand and foot. Blood oozed out of his forehead and shirt. His breathing was rapid, his face wincing in pain with each breath. The amount of suffering I sensed from him was initially overwhelming, and I had to steady myself.

But we knew instantly who it was.

"Wesley!" Beverly was in shock, her body trembling. Her breath hitched. "Oh, Wesley!"

At the sound of his mother's voice Wesley forced his head up, eyes widening with recognition. He began mumbling under the cloth around his mouth, obviously distressed. I sensed there was something he desperately needed to tell us.

Will scanned the area, nodding in confirmation. "We're clear." He began shuffling his way to Wesley, pausing each time the sound of gravel under his feet became too loud, all while Wesley continued to protest. I noticed one of his eyes was completely black.

The boy who agreed to help us was quicker than us, leaping from rock to rock almost instantaneously. He perched above Wesley on a ledge, eyes cautiously scanning around. Beverly took that as her cue, tiptoeing her way to her son, Will following close behind.

A tricorder scan of her patient caused a distressed look on Beverly's face. "He's got internal bleeding, four fractured ribs and a ruptured spleen," She turned to Will. "We haven't got time to untie him; we have to get him up now!"

Wesley mumbled in agony, while Will continued untying him. "Do what you can down here first."

Reluctantly Beverly obeyed, opening her box of supplies. As she pulled a hypospray out Wesley immediately flinched, squirming backwards.

"Hey - it's okay, it's a pain reliever," I said soothingly. Despite my words he continued to shake, his breath coming in hitches.

It was only then that I noticed the knife. The handle blended in with his pants, stained with crusty blood. It had been driven into the back of Wesley's left knee, far enough in to hide the blade.

"Beverly," I whispered. "You've missed something."

Before she could protest, I grabbed her hand and clasped it around the knife. The shock that emanated from Beverly almost overwhelmed me, with tears springing forth as she kept her grip. "What've they done to my baby?" Her voice was strained and wispy.

Wesley began mumbling, frantically jerking his head. I sensed a deep fear that was realised when a second knife was wrapped around my throat.

A voice hissed in my ear: "Welcome to hell."


	11. Chapter 11

Eleven

*Jaigin*

The smell of blood filled my nostrils, reeking from pools on the cave floor. It was a wonder I still had any left in my veins, for Dylin had sliced my skin to ribbons, leaving his dagger in my thigh. Had my hands not been tied I would've removed it. It was impossible to fall unconscious when the screams of Wesley's friends filled the air, Dylin's followers beating and torturing them. Wesley was in extreme distress, tear streaks forming amongst the dry blood on his face.

"Dylin! Stop!" I tried to haul myself up to no avail, the dagger diving deeper into my flesh. "They don't deserve it - I do!"

Smirking, my former leader walked over, wiping the blood off his sword. He waved his assistants away, leaning so his breath tingled the hairs on my neck. "You foolish child. Look what you've brought upon them."

"Don't do this, Dylin," My voice was thin with pain. "They can help us-"

"They cannot even help themselves!" Dylin whisked his sword across my cheek, drawing the slightest amount of blood. His grin looked demonic in the candlelight. "But I will teach them to obey, just as I taught you. They will make good slaves."

The red-haired lady screamed, squirming against the ropes that held her. A dagger's handle stuck out from her left shoulder. Wesley's tears fell even faster, forming a murky red mixture with his own blood.

"If you do this," I hissed, "you will condemn yourselves. They will punish you for what you've done."

"This is not their planet, is it?" Dylin laughed. "They have no authority over us! In addition, they broke the conditions of our ransom-"

"What you are doing to Wesley is unethical! They had every right to intervene!"

"Dylin," The dark-haired woman spoke, her voice trembling. "If you let us go, we will help you. We have food, water, shelter - everything you need. Our captain-"

"Your captain will watch you die for your insolence!" Dylin announced. He marched over to the male prisoner and snatched his silver badge. "Captain Picard!"

"Number One? Are you alright?" A concerned voice emerged from the badge. "Who is this?"

"You were foolish to send your crew, Captain," Dylin drove the red-haired lady's dagger in further. Her face contorted with pain as she unleashed a powerful scream.

There was a brief silence before Picard spoke again. "Unless you want us to force you cowards out of your hiding spot, release my crew immediately!"

"It is a shame you say that now, Picard. They won't be able to escape even if they tried."

"In what way?" Picard snapped.

"If you do not deliver the supplies we asked for in twelve hours, we will block off the entrance to this cave. The rock is many meters thick, Picard. Your technology nor your willpower will be able to rescue them."

"We will take that as a hostile, barbaric action!" Picard's rage was evident. "Release my crew!"

"Captain, don't!" The male prisoner shouted. "Don't blow your top!"

Picard was silent for a moment. "What do you mean, Number One?"

"Perhaps we should let them go," Jet spoke up. "We have no food left, Dylin."

"Never!" Dylin roared, throwing the badge across the room. "We have the advantage now! Releasing them would condemn us!"

"You have condemned yourselves already!" I shouted. "Do not be fools! Picard's people will help you!"

"How many more times do we have to hear that, boy?" Dylin punched me across the jaw. "You are not one of us anymore. You have no say."

I sighed. "I never was, and I never did."


	12. Chapter 12

Twelve

*Picard*

 _Captain's Log, Stardate 46366.4_

 _The hostage situation involving Wesley Crusher has grown in severity, with my three of my senior officers now held prisoner alongside him. We are unable to transport them or attempt to rescue them manually. I am grasping at straws for ideas._

"What did he mean though?" I paced around the meeting table. "'Don't blow your top?' Surely he was trying to tell us something. Speculate."

"It's unusual for Commander Riker to make such a specific comment," Geordi answered. "Perhaps he was referring to a geyser in the cave or something."

"My scans of the cave and its surrounding formations do not indicate any presence of geysers," Data revealed. "The only water-related feature present is an underground lake, about twelve meters deep and three meters wide."

"Are there any unusual natural phenomenon down there?" I asked.

"Our sensors detected nothing out of the ordinary, Captain," Ensign Ro spoke. "But there above the lake there is a dome-shaped structure-"

"Perhaps he was asking us to find a way to blow a hole through the roof!" Geordi snapped his fingers. "If we can get a seismic simulator module in that lake, I can vibrate the water molecules to the degree where they'll create a geyser."

"The question is," I muttered. "if it'll be strong enough to penetrate the rock."

"If necessary we could generate multiple pulses," Data suggested. "But there is no way to determine how many it will take to cause the cave to collapse."

"Can you give me an estimate?" I returned to my seat.

Geordi sighed. "I would say no more than three or four at the most, sir."

"Mister Data, I want you and Geordi to prepare this module," I ordered. "You'll also have to find a way to give it legs."

Data furrowed his brow. "I do not understand, sir."

"Data, he means that we have to make it able to get into the water without someone physically placing it there." Geordi explained.

"Ah. I see."

"How long will you need, Geordi?" I said, shifting in my seat.

"It's gonna take time to replicate some gears and mechanisms. I would say about two to three hours."

"Very well. Take the time you need, but hurry. We need to get them up to sickbay as soon as possible. Dismissed."

I stared out the window as my crew left. It seemed Data would soon become my Number One.


End file.
